Mr. Ceesay was speaking during an interview with journalists on Saturday at Ker Batch Stone Circle as part of the Tourism minister’s nationwide visit to all tourism and culture facilities.
He said the Ker Batch stone circle was identified as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2006, meaning that it is a site which has been adjudged by UNESCO to be of universal value to human kind.
“So its significance goes beyond The Gambia, it is like a property of a human kind.”
“The stone circles are found in various parts in The Gambia from our inventory,” he said, adding that nearly 300 stone circles in this small country with some across the border in Senegal.
Ceesay revealed that between 2 and 3 percent of their significance is known to our historians, but the research is still going on. He added that the stone circles were cut by using iron, and those who cut these stones also had high civilisation about how to use iron tools.
He said the lack of accessibility to road has severely affected visitors to the site, adding that with the construction of the road, it would definitely upgrade the site because a new museum has been built and this would increase visitors’ figures to the site.
“We would make sure that the sites are protected as a UNESCO world heritage sites,” he assured.
